Unplugging unused appliances has always been a personal sustainability tip to reduce a building’s carbon footprint. But do you know how much energy is actually taken up by the coffee maker you forgot to unplug before work? Michael Herod, a School of Sustainability alumnus and founder of GOEFER, is working with current ASU students to answer that question.

In August, Michael held a workshop that tasked students with engaging stakeholders and installing his cloud-connected smart-strips to collect data on how much energy is wasted. The smart strips are provided by GOEFER and record real time energy usage of electrical outlets in about 30 Wrigley Hall offices. Once data is collected, the students working on the project will run what-if scenarios and behavior surveys to understand how we use energy and where it can be saved. The project will be finished early December.